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Draft:Harindu Gunawardena

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Harindu Gunawardena
Born (1997-04-22) 22 April 1997 (age 27)
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Sri Lanka
NationalitySri Lankan
EducationRoyal Holloway, University of London
Alma materAnanda College
OccupationFilm Producer

Harindu Gunawardena (born 22 April 1997) is a Sri Lankan-born film producer recognised for his pioneering efforts in international film production. In 2023, Gunawardena founded Rogue Element Limited, Sri Lanka's first film management and production company with a global focus.[1] This company quickly expanded its operations to the United Kingdom. Under Rogue Element Limited, Gunawardena began the development of Crimson Beach, the first major Sri Lankan narrative film designed for international box office success.[2]

Before establishing Rogue Element Limited, Gunawardena began his career in advertising, where he collaborated with major brands and achieved notable success. During this period, he also ventured into film production, producing short films with the Sri Lankan production company High School Junkies.[3]

Early Life

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Harindu Gunawardena was born on 22 April 1997, to Sri Lankan parents Harith Gunawardena, a journalist, showrunner, and media executive, and Nishani Athukorala, a government official.[4] He comes from a lineage of creatives, being the third generation of the Gunawardena family involved in the arts. Ariyasena Jayasekera Gunawardena, a university lecturer, art critic, screenwriter and journalist, known for his collaborations with Lester James Peries.[5] Trilicia Abeykoon Gunawardena, a celebrated actress, known for her roles in Age of Darkness (1981) and Changes in the Village (1963).[2]

Gunawardena received his early education at Ananda College in Colombo, where he actively participated in the college's broadcasting unit. He initially pursued higher education in software engineering at Staffordshire University but later transitioned to Royal Holloway, University of London, where he obtained a Master of Arts in Producing Film and Television.[2]

Upon relocating to the UK, Gunawardena was mentored by a number of industry figures, including Academy Award-nominated producer and founding head of BBC Films David M. Thompson, longstanding BBC drama commissioner Mike Dormer, and Academy Award-nominated producer Sheryl Crown. These mentorship opportunities were instrumental in shaping Gunawardena's career.[2]

Career

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Early career

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Gunawardena's career began during his school days, where he focused on organising national-scale events and concerts. He co-founded a digital media company with his college friends.[6] This venture paved the way for his next endeavour: launching his own advertising production agency, Sequoia. At Sequoia, Gunawardena collaborated with multiple leading brands.[2]

Simultaneously, Gunawardena ventured into film production, producing short films that quickly garnered attention. His debut film, Temporal, was created in collaboration with the Sri Lankan production company High School Junkies and directed by Akash Sunethkumara.[7] He also produced Within the Sound of Silence, featuring Camera d'Or-winning director of photography Channa Deshapriya and award-winning actor Shyam Fernando in the lead role.[8]

2023-present

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In 2023, Gunawardena founded Rogue Element Limited, a film management and production company with a mission to revitalise Sri Lankan cinema on the world stage.[9] At it's inception, Rogue Element Limited was the only commissioning body for Sri Lankan films, positioning itself as a key player in the industry.[1]

The company's first major project, Crimson Beach, a major narrative film has garnered substantial international attention, setting a new benchmark for Sri Lankan films designed for global success.[1] Rogue Element Limited's efforts are poised to bring Sri Lankan storytelling to a wider audience, heralding a new era for the country's film industry.[10]

Refrences

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  1. ^ a b c The Island. "SL's first film commissioning company set up by young Lankan". The Island. p. 1.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ a b c d e "Pioneering Sri Lankan Cinema on the Global Stage". Element Weekly. 29 June 2024. p. 1. Retrieved 30 July 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ "High School Junkies takes on Sci-Fi". Latest in the News Sphere | The Morning. 2021-10-13. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  4. ^ "Sri Lanka Mourns the Loss of Pioneering Satirist and Advertising Personality Harith Gunawardena". asianmirror.lk. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  5. ^ "Remembering A J Gunawardana: A creative public intellectual". Groundviews. 2008-09-19. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  6. ^ udesh, saranya (2021-06-03). "The Era of Digital Marketing - Lasindu Hansitha, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of KOSMOS Group". CEO Magazine Srilanka. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  7. ^ ""WE THINK WE HAVE TIME" A PHYSICIST RISKS EVERYTHING TO RIGHT A WRONG IN SCI-FI SHORT'TEMPORAL' - Life | Daily Mirror". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  8. ^ "Harindu Gunawardena | Producer, Writer, Executive". IMDb. Retrieved 2024-07-30.[unreliable source?]
  9. ^ The Leader (2023-11-09). "Global film production company 'Rogue Element' launched". english.theleader.lk. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  10. ^ Kadupitiyage, Shanuka (2024-07-25). "From shorts to feature films". Ceylon Today. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
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